The Second To Last Post

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, yes? Mine was lovely and I received some very thoughtful gifts.

With only 2 days (or a day and a half really) left in 2010 I have mixed emotions and feelings about the year. It was tough but I learned a lot (is that cliche to say?) and did a lot of growing as a person - however, it's not a year that I'd like to repeat! 2011 on the other hand, I think will be much different and I am looking forward to it. I think it's going to be a good year.....

I've written two kinda "end of year" posts over on my new blog that I won't repeat here but invite you to take a look at if you wish. The first was a 2010 Photography Wrap-Up where I shared some of my favourite pictures I've taken this year. The other is a kind of a 2010 Review post.

However you decide to ring in 2011 I hope you have a lovely and safe evening; I hope 2011 is everything you need it to be and so much more. Really, I do.

See you back here some time next week when I hope to make my final post on this blog, before it goes on hiatus, a video post!

k

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays

I want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and/or Happy Holidays. Seriously, without all of you reading and leaving your comments, suggestions, thoughts, this blog would not be what it is. I appreciate you all stopping by my little piece of the internet daily/weekly however often it is and spending your time reading my thoughts.

Take it easy and enjoy the day with your loved ones and see you on Monday...when I'm going to try and get my act together and do a video post :)

WINNER OF THE HOLIDAY/THANK YOU GIVEAWAY!

Thank you to everyone who entered my Thank You/Holiday Giveaway. Since I chose the winner the old fashioned way (by pulling the name out of a hat!) I thought it would be fun to do a little video blog so you guys could watch as the winner was selected.

This is my FIRST video post (vlog?) so excuse all the "umms" (and I'm not sure why the video quality looks not to great...I swear it's crystal clear on my camera....maybe I'll upload in HD format next time....) but I'll definitely be doing more in the future! If you're on YouTube feel free to subscribe to my channel as well (FIWL2011).

(And just in case you don't feel like watching the video the winner is mentioned below.)



Congratulations to Jason of the blog These Roving Eyes. I've been reading Jason's blog for quite some time now and have had the pleasure of meeting him this past summer; I'm very curious to know what book will be selected! The winner (Jason) has until Friday, December 17 at 11:59 p.m. ET to contact me via email letting me know which 1 of the 9 books he'd like! If Jason does not contact me by then a new winner will be selected and announced on Monday, December 20.

Thanks again everyone! And if you haven't already checked out my new blog please drop by and say hi!

Perfect Table Setting

Thanks to all of you who entered my thank you/holiday giveaway by commenting on my new travelogue, becoming followers of it, and tweeting the giveaway. Thank you so much! Since one person could have up to 3 entries I'm selecting the winner via the old fashioned way of writing the names out on pieces of paper, putting them in a hat, and pulling the winner....so stay tuned. Winner to be announced this Wednesday the 15th!

In the meantime, I leave you with this pic seen in the new issue of Lonny Magazine available now. If you've been reading this blog for any amount of time you know that I adore pink as an accent colour and that gold is my most favourite metal...combined with the fun & graphic black & white fabric...well it's just perfect. I'm in love with the entire look and may very well try to duplicate it in my future eating area....when I return from India. I'm particularly IN LOVE with the fabric used as tablecloth. Totally feminine, grown up, and chic....but still young and fun.

+pics from Lonny Magazine.

Reminder...Giveaway Ends Tonight!

Just a quick reminder that my holiday/thank you giveaway ends tonight at 11:59 p.m. EST. So if you haven't already entered scroll down for details - then head over to my new travelogue From India. With Love. to enter. It's open to all Apt. #412 readers (not just Canadians!) and I mean, who doesn't love a good book???

Good Luck!

Blog Love: How About Orange

Are you guys familiar with the blog How About Orange? If not you simply must check it out. Earlier today I spent far too long going through the archives bookmarking future DIYs, downloading wallpapers for my desktop and twitter background, and clicking a bunch of links.

+ Things to Make With Crepe Paper

+ DIY Modern Paper Ornament

+ Make Fabric Prints with Tape

And that is just the very tip of the iceberg. I don't know how she finds all this great stuff or comes up with these awesome DIYs and ideas but my gosh I love it. I also don't know why/how I'm just discovering this blog.....

5 More Days To Enter My Giveaway

click here to find out how

A Holiday & Thank You Giveaway!

Happy Holidays!

As many of you know I'll be moving to India in the New Year (in March to be exact) and have started a new blog From India. With Love. You also may have noticed that postings on this blog have subsequently become a bit....slow and at the end of the year Apt.#412 will be going on temporary hiatus. Come January I'll be in full pre-departure mode for India, throwing my pregnant sister's baby shower (my first niece/nephew!), and just getting a lot of stuff ready and in order.....to be honest maintaining two blogs is the last thing I want to do. I decided to start From India. With Love. to document all of the adventures I will have in India and as sort of a resource for anyone thinking of moving to India (especially women or people of colour) or people who simply plan on visiting India. I'd love for you to join me on my new blog.....

Which leads me to my final Apt.#412 Giveaway which is also a THANK YOU for reading along for the past....15 months.

I'm a huge lover of books - not just novels but books about design (hence this blog)...about travel (hence my new blog)...about photography (which there will be lots of on the new blog)...as well as books that are inspirational...and many other kinds...

SO my giveaway is for ONE WINNER to receive ONE of the following books (winner chooses which book they would like to receive). The books with an asterisk I have read/own (and in the case of the DVD also seen) and 100% vouch for. The others are ones that I would love to own. I think they are all great and would be a great addition to your bookshelf or coffee table....

Domino's Book Of Decorating*

If you're a design blogger or read Domino then you've heard all about this book...

Within The Frame by David DuChemin*

This is not a technical book per say - what it is is a book about how to make meaningful photos...

especially those of the travel kind - and to help you with your photographic vision...

Who Will Cry When You Die*

I've often quoted this book in posts...little short thoughts/lessons that inspire...

Lonely Planet India

Lonely Planet guidebooks are amongst the most popular....

Just in case you're planning on visiting India...

on Happy Chic Colors

I LOVE colour in homes but for a lot of people it's tough knowing how to inject colour into your space...get tips and ideas from the master of colourful, playful, quirky design...

Eat, Pray, Love DVD*

Most people have heard of this book/dvd...watched the movie this weekend - 

the scenery and colours are stunning...

Secret Daughter*

A really touching book that goes back and forth between India and America.... 

Lauren Conrad Style

I'm not a fashion blogger or the type that reads fashion...guidebooks...but I flipped through this one at the bookstore and it's one fashion book I'd really like to own.

1,000 Places To See Before You Die*

The new 2010 updated version - filled with inspiring places and things to see...

Now here's how you can win:

- Visit my NEW blog From India. With Love. and comment on ANY POST. Be sure to include: (Apt.412 giveaway some place in your comment) so I know you're entering the draw.

- For a ANOTHER chance to win become a follower of From India. With Love. - scroll to the bottom of the main page and you'll see the widget thingy. (sorry if you already follow you don't get a second entry!)

- For yet ANOTHER chance to win tweet or do a quick post (even a sentence or two) on your blog about this giveaway (and let me know at imnotreallyadiva[at]gmail.com). In the tweet be sure to include @kayinto and a link (http://bit.ly/fcVAQd) back to this post so I know you've tweeted.

And that's it. A few ways to win one of these fantastic books (or DVD)!

The giveaway closes on December 8, 11:59 p.m. EST and the winner will be announced here on Apartment #412 on December 9, 2010.

Hope you enter and good luck!

DIY Celeb Artwork

Before I get into this post I'll preface this by saying I've had this post saved in my draft for over 2.5 years. Yes, you read right and I didn't make a mistake. 2.5 YEARS. Actually, 2 years 7 months to be exact.

Not cool.

It's a good post I think and it should have been posted a long time ago...so since Apartment #412 will be going on a hiatus very soon I decided now is as good a time as any to get this up. Some of the reference might be a bit...old (like me watching Real World Hollywood)...but other than that it's all good.

Now, on to the post.

**********

Frank Sinatra

First - doesn't Frank Sinatra look cute in that mugshot? Okay, now that I've got that out of the way.

I remember reading about this idea in a magazine a few years ago but was reminded of it recently when I was watching The Real World Hollywood. If you look closely in their main living area you will see artwork using celeb mugshots.

I thought this would be a fun simple DIY to bring the look into your own space. A quick google search found TONS of pics and here, for whatever reason, are a few that caught my eye:

Jane Fonda

Jimi Hendrix

Bill Gates

I myself prefer the old-school mug shots with the numbers in them. But if you do a simple google search you can find tons of celeb mugshots. Everyone from Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan to Michael Jackson....and basically 99% of Hollywood. Look. 


**********


Updated to add:


I think this would look pretty cool hung either gallery style or the exact opposite - very structured. I'm not sure it would work in every decor but I think it would be quite fun in most...you could even use black and white pics to make it a bit more understated or do the pop art look as above in the RW house.

You could even have a bit of a theme...one I thought of would be prominent figures from the civil rights movement including Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Malcom X - I can totally see that being a conversation starter. Or if you're into young Hollywood you could do Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, and Nicole Ritchie...that would be a bit funny.

There are even books filled with celeb mugshots like this one and this one. They are paperback so I'm not sure the pics from it would work to be framed but it's still kinda cool. (Wait, this one is hardcover...)

money green leather sofa

click to see larger

coolest. leather. sofa. ever.

with lyrics from one of my favourite hip-hop songs ever.

i know like 98% of the lyrics by heart.

that's pretty darn accurate if you ask me.

+seen in The Selby Book

Apartment #412 Etsy Store Update

Just wanted to pop in quickly to let you all know that I'm working really hard to get my Apartment #412 Etsy Shop opened for next week. I've picked up some more amazing finds (vintage housewares) and can't wait to share them all with you - I may even have a little giveaway to celebrate its opening.

You can read this post about my plans for the Apartment #412 Etsy Shop.

Also, if you'd like, pop over to my travelogue and give me your input/suggestions on the dreaded travel sandal......the search has begun!

Tears + Warm and Fuzzy Feelings

I wanted to share a blog post that almost had me in tears and a newly discovered blog with all of you....

Jason, who I've mentioned before, of the blog These Roving Eyes is one of my favourite bloggers. His pictures and breathtaking and literally blow my mind (seriously Jason, can we please have a quick photography teaching session before I go to India...I'm SO serious?!) but even more beautiful, if that's possible, is Jason's writing.

He is, plain and simple, an amazing writer. A few weeks ago Jason wrote one of the most truthful, honest, and moving posts I have ever read on any blog. Ever. It was his coming out story. I read it with tears in my eyes. Not sad tears but hopeful tears. Because with all of the.....bullying going on with teens afraid to come out (and teens committing suicide because of this) I wished that each and everyone of them could read his post and know that things would be okay and things would get better. That one day the weight would be lifted and they too would take root. If you have a minute or two please give his post a read because it really is beautiful.

My next find is a wonderful new blog that when I stop by gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling. Lurve You is, in the authors own words, "a blog dedicated to love - fleeting love, true love, and everything in between." 

The posts are short & sweet and I can't stop by Lurve You and read a couple of posts without saying "awwwww." Who doesn't like getting that warm & fuzzy feeling?

Well, there they are folks. If you stop by either I'd love to know what you think!



(oh, and I recently did a post over on FIWL about why I'm going to India, what I'll be doing while I'm there & why India...if you're curious about the full story pop over and give it a read :)

Film and Digital [+ come visit my new blog!]

I picked up some film from the lab that I should have picked up.........back in September. That's one of the fun things about film - sometimes you forget what you took pictures of so when you get it back it's like a surprise! In this case it was shots I took when I was in Ottawa for my volunteer training back at the end of August and despite my shutter button acting up and not always working when I wanted it to - I'm really pleased with the outcome. Some of them are slightly over/underexposed and some of them are not quite in focus (because of the fidgety shutter button) - but, for some of them, it adds to the picture I think.

I remembered that some of the shots I captured on film I also captured, albeit a slightly different view/angle, on digital. I thought it would be fun to post both so, hopefully, you guys can see the difference that I see between the two formats.

Digital.

Film.

Film

Digital

Film (underexposed)

Digital. (underexposed)

Film. (overexposed)

This isn't meant to be scientific or anything like that - I just thought since I had both I'd share both. In all fairness I had just received my new digital camera and was still getting the hang of it - so I used it in 'auto' for most of my trip. But, regardless, I think the differences are evident - no? Also - despite the difference I still adore my new digital camera...especially now that I'm shooting in manual with it.

So - to be clear - I love my digital AND film camera but they do give different results.

To see more of my shots on film click here.

P.S. I know I've been bad with updating this blog. Remember, you can always find me blogging here. Would love to see you over there - stop by and say "hi" or "follow" me there (scroll down to the bottom for the follow widget).

Have a great weekend!

My Interior Design Style...Exactly.

There was this blogger meme thingy that was going around a while back asking you to pick one picture that is 'your interior design style.' Actually, for anyone even the least bit interested in interior design it's a something you've definitely thought about "what is my style?"

Well these pictures of Peacock Pavilions are the perfect illustration of my style.

This is my dream home and exactly the type of direction I'm going to take my decor in when I have my next permanent home. It's comfortable but chic. Bright. Colourful. Patterns galore. Global. Basically every piece has a story...a history. It's interesting.

I love it.

To see much more pictures of Peacock Pavilions (boutique hotel/guesthouse built & decorated by blogger Maryam of My Marrakesh) head over to Decor8.

To see even more pictures, and to see how it all came to be, visit My Marrakesh.

----------
+ ALL Images are of Peacock Pavilions. Image 1 found on the blog My Marrakesh. Image 2 & 3 found on the site Decor8.

DIY Pillow

See that pillow. It's made of doilies. Yes, doilies. Most people can find a huge stack of doilies at their parent's or grandparents house. And if not they cost anywhere from 0.49-0.99 each at the thrift store.

Rachel of the blog Smile and Wave made that pillow and posted a how-to. Click here to check it out.

If I weren't going to India and, you know, and still had a couch to put the pillow on, I'd totally be making one this weekend. Heck, I might take some doilies to India and make a few while I'm there. You know, to spruce up whatever cheap sofa I'll have while I'm there.


+Picture from the blog Smile and Wave

the BEST ikea hack EVER

I've seen a lot of Ikea hacks but this has to be the most incredible one I've EVER seen.

From this:

To this:

Seriously, if I was not moving to India in 4.5 months I would totally be doing this. Copying it step by step - same colour and everything. (Maybe a darker stain to the legs). I love it.

Click here to read how Dan of the blog Manhattan Nest transformed the humble Ikea Fjellse bed frame into a chic upholstered beauty - with, among other things, a $25 wool blanket from the army supply store - genius! Seriously, a bed like this would cost HUNDREDS of dollars at West Elm, Crate & Barrel, or anyone of those other stores. Dan did it for $94. Plus the cost of the frame (which is like a whole 50 bucks for the queen size). 


Wicked.


Thank me later*.


(*and thanks to Anna of Door Sixteen for sharing this blog. I now have something new in my reader!)

Oh that reminds me.....

Earlier this week my new blog From India. With Love. was selected by Anna as one of her featured blogs for the month of October. It's a new thing she's doing on her newly revamped blog where, instead of a blog roll, each month she features four or five blogs she's hoping to bring a little more attention to rather than letting them get lost in a sea of links.

Ya, I know right! My new lil' ol' humble blog got the thumbs up from one of the big (and when I say big that's an understatement) dawgs. It's especially cool to me because Anna has been one of my absolute favourite reads for about two years now and one thing I've always loved about Door Sixteen is that it is ad free and she doesn't participate in link exchanges. It makes everything that she does link to feel...genuine. Like it's there because she genuinely enjoys it not because she was asked/paid/sponsored to mention it. So I'm genuinely flattered to be featured this month.

So what are YOU waiting for? If you haven't clicked over and given it a read yet go now. I dare you.

Thanks Anna!

6 WEEK CHALLENGE

Two posts in one day? Awesome.

So I tweeted this earlier today and it occured to me some of you might be interested..I then got the idea to make it into a sort of challenge/virtual support group (lol) and share it here.

Every now and then I get motivated to go the gym, try and get fit, and to shed some pounds. Now is one of those times. I figure, if a few of us got together, to share what’s working & what’s not, and to make it fun – we could do this together! So if you’re looking for some extra motivation to lose actual pounds/ inches/reach a fitness goal – this could be fun…and an extra way to stay motivated.

I’ve decided to keep the challenge going for 6 weeks beginning on Monday, October 17th (short notice yes but I’m ready to get started!) and was thinking that if I get 3 or more people interested I could throw up a quick blog or something that we would all contribute to in order to keep each other up to date and motivated.

If you’re interested in joining my 6 Week Challenge drop me a line at imnotreallyadiva(at)gmail.com and I’ll send you the 411!

Have a great weekend!

Deals, Meet-Ups, & Courage

So I just wanted to quickly pop in and share two things with you all.

First, thanks to tweeps on twitter I found out that Gap is having a pretty good promotion/deal right now. Bring in ANY pair of old/worn jeans that you no longer want/wear and get 30% of any pair of jeans from their new 1969 line. It doesn’t have to be an old pair of Gap jeans – it can be ANY PAIR OF JEANS. And yes my fellow Canadians – this promotion is for us too, I went in and checked :) (I hate it when you hear about a good deal/promotion only to find out it’s only in the U.S.) Oh, it also applies to kids & baby denim, so this may be a good time to get a pair or two for your kiddos if you have ‘em. I’m going to get two pairs on my lunch break….I think this is going on until the 20th of Oct. but you may want to double check.

Second, and this is for my fellow Canucks (if you’re wondering what that is/means you probably aren’t one!), you know how you always hear about design blogger meet ups in cities like Chicago and NYC and you always wonder – why not one here too? Well, Viatania of Verdigris de Vie, Daniella of Dress Design and Decor, and Jennifer of Rabling Renovators are in the midst of coordinating a Canadian Designer Blogger meet-up taking place in Toronto! I just got an email from them that the date will be November 20th with location/more details to come. The ladies are also setting up a site (which should go live next week) to keep us all updated but in the meantime, if you’re interested, you can drop them a line at cdndesignbloggers(at)gmail.com to be added to the mailing list. I’ll be going and I hope if you’re a Canadian design blogger, and you can make it, that you go too! I’d love to finally meet some of you in person.

That’s it from me today. Have you checked out my new travelogue From India. With Love. yet? If not, click over and take a look. With my upcoming move to India to volunteer a lot of people have been calling/telling me I'm inspiring and brave so I did a post this week on Courage. It took me a while to write and it's one of my blog posts that I’m particularly proud of. I would love your feedback and to hear what you think about it and on courage in general.

Happy Friday!

Thankful

Yes that's a (real) Saarinen Table and (real) Bertoia chairs.
They make me swoon.

Yesterday was Thanksgiving Day in Canada. I spent Sunday at my sisters with her and her boyfriend celebrating a bit early. We enjoyed a lovely meal, good conversation, and played Def Jam Rap Star which is incredibly fun. I have a lot to be thankful for and I did a quick post over on From India. With Love. Please check it out....there's also little peeks into my sister's lovely condo. Maybe I should do a tour of her place her on Apt. #412.....

(If you're really observant some of you may recognize it as we did an episode of Property Virgins on HGTV....)

The Next Chapter: I'm Moving To India!

***I'd like to preface this by saying I was planning on doing this post as a video post - my first. I knew what I was going to say, I got a fancy new camera that shoots hi-def video and it was going to be totally cute.....but I can't figure out how to get video OFF the camera ONTO my computer lmao. So I'll do a video post later.***


Yup, you read right. I'm moving to India - for 1 year to volunteer. Those of you who follow me on twitter already know this, and other regular readers might know this too from this post and this post....but for those of you who pop in every now and then you might have missed the whole thing since it was a decision that was made over a few weeks/posts.

So, yeah, that's the next chapter for me! And while I'm a bit nervous, I've never done anything like this, I'm also excited. Pursuing a career in International Development has been something I've been seriously thinking about doing for the past 2 years and I've always wanted to live abroad, in another culture, for the experience. So this will give me the opportunity to do both.

You're probably wondering when I leave. Well, it was supposed to be in November - yes, as in 3 weeks from now! But shortly after I accepted the placement offer (and in turn got accepted by the organization back in July) my sister found out that she is pregnant - I'm going to be an Aunt!!! I know, so much excitement, right?! So I asked the volunteer organization if there was any way my arrival could be postponed to the next arrival date - which is March. It was a long shot. Chances were they would find another volunteer to go in November and find another placement for me (possibly in another country). After learning about the placement and learning more about India (and thinking about the countries in the area I could easily travel to) my heart was really set on going. So I waited. And at the end of August I attended a pre-departure training with other volunteers in Ottawa for 5 days. And while I was there - I got confirmation that they would reschedule my arrival for March!

To me, this was like another sign that I'm on the right path. Cheesey as it may sound, when it comes to this opportunity everything just seems to be falling into place and working out. It's like...this is what I should be doing.

Oh, and today I got my scheduled arrival date....6 days BEFORE my niece/nephew is due! I told my sister come February she better pop that sucker out - eat some spicy foods or something lolol.

SO that is why Apartment #412 is now empty. I decided to move home to save up some extra cash before March. It just makes the most sense financially...

And, with this new chapter in my life and this new adventure comes............

....a new blog! Again, those of you who follow me on twitter already know about my new travelogue.  It's called From India. With Love. and that is where I will blog EVERYTHING related to my upcoming move to India (and where I will blog full-time come March). Even though I'm not leaving until March I'm blogging there right now - my thoughts, preparation (I'm taking Hindi classes!)...and yes some decor stuff too :) I mean, I will have to decorate my flat while I'm there! So I'd love for you all to "follow" me over there too! If you want to follow me on my new adventure - that's where I'll be doing it...complete with lots of pictures! So go on, click over and take a look - I hope you like it! (and if you scroll to the bottom of FIWL you'll see the 'follow' button).

Just to clarify, Yes - I know I've started many blogs in the past. But to be clear as of right now, as I type this, I post on only two blogs. This one here that you're reading and From India. With Love. Some of you may want to know "Why the new blog? Why not just blog about your new adventure here?" and that is totally a valid question. To answer it I'll say...I just wanted a new space that was for this new adventure and chapter in my life. It's like.....you know when you start a new job - you buy a new outfit, or a new purse, or shoes...well, it's like that. The new blog is the equivalent of my new "outfit."


So what will happen to Apartment #412? Well, I'll continue to blog here, the type of posts that you're used to, until then the end of the year. But I'll also be blogging at FIWL. And, come the new year I'll only be blogging on FIWL. I figure come January things will start getting really busy for me and it will probably be hard to maintain both. But don't worry. I'll let you all know before this blog goes quiet :)

So that's it for now. This post is pretty long and if you've read this far thank you! I also want to thank everyone who left a comment or thoughts on moving abroad for a year. I read every single one, several times, and it blows my mind that you all take time to leave such thoughtful comments. I really appreciate it and will say it again, I have some of the best blog followers on the 'net :)

It's Thanksgiving Day here on Monday & it's a long weekend. I'll see you on Tuesday!

And don't forget to go check out my new blog (www.fromindia--withlove.blogspot.com)! And become a follower :)

The End*

On to the next chapter.

Update in the next day or two.

*kinda ;)

New FLOR tiles!

While I know FLOR tiles are a good idea (easily being able to switch out one tile when it gets dirty, creating your "own" rug pattern ) I haven't been the biggest fan of them. I dunno why. Just hadn't seen a pattern that really appealed to me (and yes I know you can get them plain....)

But I just saw these ones and LOVE them.

I love how this entire image is styled...Ohh to have all those hermes boxes...or that table...

Or you can configure the tiles like this!
(Minus the solid blue tiles which I'm not a fan of)

At just $12.99 a tile you can put together a 5x7 rug for just under $160!  I definitely see some of these floor tiles in my future (in you know - 1.5 years). Oh, they're called Sophistikat if you're interested :)

This one is pretty cool too:

Available here.

More Film

The shutter button on my film camera (Canon AE-1) is being temperamental. Sometimes it won't click. Sometimes it will.

Very annoying and frustrating.

I'm not sure what the problem is and I'm not sure what it will cost to get it fixed. Rather than go through all the hassle I'll probably just buy another one because I really miss shooting film...and the results.

Until I figure out what the problem is and resolve it - here are some shots from my last roll that I didn't get around to sharing here. Click any of them to see larger.

My little brother holding a tomato from my garden

Downtown Toronto at night. I LOVE the way film captured this.

A plate filled with lobster from my favourite hole in the wall.
The lobster here is soooooo good.

Hope you're all having a great weekend!